Collector for third-rail systems.



No. 761,432. PATENTEDMAY 31,1904

A. K. WARREN.

COLLECTOR FOR THIRD RAIL SYSTEMS. APPLIOATION FILED FEB/25471903.

I PATENTED. MAY 31, 1904.

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COLLECTOR POR- THIRD RAIL SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB- 5. 1903- NO MODEL.

No. 761,432. 'I'PATBNTBD MAY 31, 1904.

A. K. WARREN.

COLLECTOR FOR THIRD RAIL SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1908.

N0 HODEL. .6 SHEETS-BflEET 3- S PETERS 110., woroumou WASHINGTON. n. c.

PATENTED MAY 31, 1904.

A. K. WARREN. COLLECTOR FOR THIRD RAIL SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION TILED FEB. 25, 1903.

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N0 MODEL.

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PATENTED MYA'YSI, 1904.

. A. K. WARREN. I

COLLECTOR FOR THIRD RAIL SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED IEB. 26. 1903.

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N0 MODEL.

mnnnygiullll Illl """ illllllllll ll ll Patented May 31, 1904.

. UNITED STATES: PATENT "OFF CE.

ALDRED K. WARREN,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COLLECTOR FOR HlRb-RAIL SYSTEMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,432, dated May 31, 1904.

A i lieati fil d February 25, 1903. Serial No. 144,991. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALDRED K. W ARREN, a citizen of Great Britain, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in C01- lectors for Third-Rail Systems, of which the following is a specification.

- ning from the shoe.

f My invention relates to devices for taking current from the main conductor and transferring it to the motor in cars run on what is known as the third-rail system. I I In the drawingsforming part of this specification, Figure 1 is aview illustrating my invention, parts being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2, parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a view showing the invention with a modified form of spring. Fig. i is an end view of the pivoted arm and shoe. Fig; 5 is a sectional view thereof. Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the guard forthe conductor. Fig. 7 is a perspective of the shoe detached. x

A represents a bracket which is attached to the car. The form of this bracket is best shown in Fig. 2. It is attached to the car by means of bolts passing through the slots B. The back of the upper end of the bracket isprovided with corrugations engaging with those in the piece G attached to the car, thus affording an adjustable connection.

The part lettered A of-Fig. 1 represents the equalizing-bar or portion of the truck-frame, and A represents the insulating-piece, usually of wood. The bracket is provided witha lug D, to which is bolted a copper casting E, to which is attached, one end of the shunt V, run- The bracket, as shown in Fig. 1, is of curved form, though it may be of any form which will adapt it to the particular conditions of the construction of the truck-rail and guard. The bottom of the bracket is provided with lugs F. These lugs are drilled to permit the passage of the pivotpin G. "Freely movable on the pivot-pin G are two arms H H, which are separated by a spacing-piece I. The distance between the two arms H H is less than that between the lugs F for a reason hereinafter stated. The outer ends of these arms H are provided with lugs J, which are perforated to allowthe passage of'the pivot-pins K K, on which is placed the contact-shoe L. f v

M M represent springs the ends of which are coiled around the pivot-pin on either side of the arms H H, the extreme ends being S8".

cured in recesses N in the bracket A. The

other ends of the wires forming the springs are carried out and turned at substantially right angles to rest on the outer ends of the arms H H. The arms H H,as wellas the spacing-piece I, are not only free to move around the pivot-pin G, but are movable lengthwise thereof, beinggnormally kept in the central position by the springs M M.

Instead of having the springs M M made as described they maybe made of one. piece, the

ends of whichare coiled around the pin, as heretofore stated, the middle portion of the wire being bent in a substantially U shape and bearing on the ends of the arms, as shown in, Fig. '3. The ends of the arms H H are provided with a plane surface P, eccentrically placed with regard to the pivot. This surface bearing on the bracket prevents the arm from falling down too far.

Instead of making the arms H H separate with a spacing-piece between them I may make said arms and spacing-piece in one, thus forming a single rigid arm, in which case 'a single pivot-pin only would be used. The

advantage of the. former construction is that the play of the parts is suflici'e'nt to allow a' certain tilting of the shoe in the direction of its length, as one of the arms H H would rise 'sufliciently to allow the shoe to adjust itself to inclines or to pass over a slight obstruction.

I have adopted in my claims the generic terni support as applied to either or both of the above constructions.

The shoe L of the shape best shown in Fig.

7 is provided with lugs Q, drilled to allow the passage of the pivot-pins K. The top of the shoe is grooved, as at R, to allow the easy removal and adjustment of the pivot-pins. The shoe is also provided with a lug S, to which is bolted a copper casting T, which has a socket in which is secured the end of the shunt wire V. The shoe is attached to the arms H H by passing the pivot-pins K K through the lugs at the ends of said arms on the shoe, as clearly indicated in Fig, 3. It will be seen, therefore, that the shoe is free to move in a direction transverse to the length of the conductor W. The ends of the shoe are turned up, as clearly shown in the drawings, as is customary with such devices.

From the construction thus far described it will be seen that the shoe is carried on pivotarms,which arms are kept down by the force of the spring acting directly over the shoe, so that jumping of the shoe from contact with the current-rail is practically prevented, and the shoe being pivoted to move transversely of the rail always rests squarely thereon, notwithstanding the violent swaying of the cars at high speed and irregularity in height of the conducting-rail. Were it not for this pivotal connection, irregularity in height of rails or swaying of the car would often produce very slight or knife-edge contact of the shoe with the rail, leading to sparking and insufficient current to the motors. The arrangement of the spring also serves another purpose namely, that of a bufferfor the arms H H being free to move lengthwise of their pivot pin the shock of the shoe against an obstruction or the end of a contact-rail will be taken up by the operation of that part of the spring coiled around the pivot-pin G.

In Figs. 1 and 6 I have'illustrated a form of guard for the contact-rail, though I do not in this application lay claim thereto. This guard (0 consists of a curved piece of metal of any suitable material placed directly over the rail and at a-suitable distance therefrom. The guard is made in comparatively short sections, separated from each other as indicated in Fig. 6, so that the accidental contact of the shoe with the guard will chargebut a small section of the guard. The guard is supported by brackets b, which are in turn secured to the rail-ties or any suitable part of the structure. This avoids any necessity for insulation of the guard.

Serious dilficulty has been met in third-rail systems due to the breaking of the shunt-wire running from the shoe to the motor. This is usually run direct, and the constant swaying and motion of the cars causes constant bending of the wires at a certain point or points, which in a comparatively short time causes the same to break. I overcome this diiiiculty by means'illustrated in Fig. 5. Instead of leading the shunt-wire V direct to the socket E, I coil such wire around the spacing-piece I, the coil being loose, as clearly shown in the drawings; By this arrangement it will be seen that the motion of the pivoted arm will simply cause the coil to loosen or tighten, the strain on the wire being practically in a straight line.

I claim 1. In a collector for electric railways, the combination of a support pivoted to the car, a shoe attached to the end of said support adapted to bear on the conducting-rail, and a spring bearing on said support to prevent breaking the contact between the shoe and the rail, one endof said spring being disposed to form a bufler for said support, substantially as described.

2. In a collector for electric railways, the combination of a bracket attached to the car, said bracket having lugs thereon, a support pivoted between said lugs, a shoe attached to the end of said support and bearing on the contact-rail, a spring bearing on the end of said support, the ends of said spring being coiled around the pivot-pin of the support between said support and lugs, substantially as described.

3. In a collector for electric railways, the combination of a support pivoted to the car, a shoe at the end bearing upon the contactrail, a shunt-wire running from said shoe to the motor connection on the car, said wire being disposed in a coil around the pivotal part of said support,substantially as described.

4. In a collector for electric railways, the combination of separate arms pivoted to the car and movable independently of each other, a shoe pivotally secured to the ends of said arms and adapted to bear on the contact-rail, and a spring-pressure device normally tending to keep the shoe in contact with the rail, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the city, county, and State of New York, this 16th day of February, 1903.

ALDRED K. \VARREN.

In presence of E. M. HARMoN, H. J. LILLIE. 

